10/17/22
“If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.”
Vincent Van Gogh
Today, I visited my phenology spot for the third time this semester. The first time I had been there was during our first lab. It is the spot in the woods where you’re able to cross the stream over these wooden blocks. You can hear the water trickling down the stream and see how it ebbs and flows. I really enjoyed this particular spot since it had so many different elements to it including the water, vegetation and various animals. Additionally, the proximity of Centennial Woods to UVM was a large factor. I figured that if I were to get accustomed with a particular spot, I would want to visit it frequently even after the project was done. Centennial Woods is only a 10-minute walk from my hall so I thought it would be a great spot. If you’re starting on the Athletic campus, you can head Southeast down Main Street, then make your way to Catamount Drive all the way down to the entrance to the woods. Once at the first entrance, you will continue through the path, following the wooden boards, and you will eventually make it to the spot.
It is characterized by the stream that rushes underneath, as well as several different tree species along the path. Most often I saw Norway Maples and Red Oaks. The farther I got from the stream, the denser and larger the trees became. Closer to the stream were various flowers, bushes and grass. As I was leaving the spot, I saw a few robins and a large group of chickadees (a childhood favorite of mine). It was really lovely to just sit and exist in such a beautiful space, giving me the ability to really take in and admire my surroundings.
10/31/22
Yesterday, I revisited my phenology spot in Centennial Woods. Luckily, it was a beautiful day with lots of sun. As per the assignment’s instructions, I sat in the center of my spot for 15 minutes with no distractions and just absorbed my surroundings. I cannot begin to describe how peaceful this was. After a long weekend, a nice moment in nature was exactly what I needed for a Sunday reset.
The peaceful sounds of the babbling brook and the birds chirping and fluttering around were so calming. The air smelled like fallen leaves and that fresh, crisp, cool smell of autumn. Around me, I saw a multitude of chickadees, one of my favorite birds. They flew through the brush and the trees, dancing around each other. The area was certainly barer than before, with the majority of the deciduous trees having all their leaves fallen, but the green colors of the pines and the orange leaves covering the ground still made it a very pretty sight. You can see a comparison of the same spot from my previous visit, October 17th, to yesterday, October 30th.
Overall, it was an amazing experience being able to enjoy a nice moment outside. Here are some final pictures, as well as my map of the spot. 🙂
11/27/2022
Over break, I decided to visit a spot in the neighborhood that I grew up in. Through the neighborhood, runs a stream that originates in Irondequoit bay. Funnily enough, a separate stream runs through my current neighborhood that originates from the same bay. The spot in my old neighborhood has a tree that fell over the stream about 20 years ago which was never taken care of. It just sat as a little bridge over the water. As a child, I remember coming to this spot and just sitting on the fallen tree trunk listening to the stream. Being able to experience this once again after living in a different place for about 7 years was magical. It really brought me back to my childhood. While the tree trunk no longer had any leaves to examine, I imagine it was a red maple based on its bark.
I picked this particular spot as my Burlington phenology location is also right next to a stream. I love incorporating water into my natural experiences as I have always found it to be a comforting thing. The sounds of the babbling water just brings me peace. This spot is also in upstate / western New York, quite similar to Vermont so I saw a lot of similar species. Like I mentioned in previous posts, I always see chickadees fluttering about at my Burlington spot and I was lucky enough to see some at the spot at home. The wooded species were also similar with lots of oaks and maples.
The trip I took to my old neighborhood was pretty spontaneous so I didn’t leave a gift, but I’m extremely grateful to the gift of serenity it provided to me
1/29/2023
Back at my spot once again! Despite the cold weather today, I certainly enjoyed my walk around Centennial woods today to visit my Phenology site. The landscape looks completely changed, covered in a blanket of snow. All the remaining foliage that I saw in December is likely hidden under that snow, decomposing and getting the soils ready to host the beauty of spring.
Here, you can see the difference of my sit from a visit I made last December to the visit I made this morning.
The spot was nearly silent with the exception of the babbling stream that runs through the woods. Apart from the scattered footprints of people, there was little signs of life in the vicinity. Unlike my previous visits, I couldn’t hear or see any chickadees flying about, nor any other birds for that matter.
I was also met with the sadness of finding no discernable animal tracks. I was quite looking forward to searching around the blanket of snow for any remaining signs of creatures muddling about but was met with nothing.
Hopefully in the coming months, I will have more luck engaging with the trails of our furry friends.
Signing off!
-Sadie
3/18/2023
Today, I visited Channing H. Philbrick Park, a park in Penfield, New York which is where I’m from. I used to come here quite often as a kid, and it was so wonderful to revisit the spot. It’s located right near the central area of the town.
I was very happy to hear and see many more birds than there have been in the past few months. Though I am not an expert in backyard birds, I can confidently say that I saw many geese, sparrows, chickadees and crows during my time at the park. While many of these birds are year round residents of New York, they have been much more dormant in over the winter and are finally coming around again to say hello.
In regards to the trees, I saw many of the same species as we have in Burlington: red and white oaks, pines, American beech, and various maples like sugar maples and red maples. I was hoping to see some more buds on the trees, but there were not as many as I would have liked. Granted, it is only March. We still have not even come out of the winter season, but I hope to see more in the future. In years past, it has felt like spring has come overnight, so, who knows what may happen in the coming weeks!
Lastly, I did some research on the history of the park. It is a relatively small area, only about 19 acres, so, I was a little worried that I wouldn’t be able to find much. Fortunately, I found a very helpful webpage that includes a detailed history of the area. I will link it at the bottom of this post, but for those that may not want to read a whole article about a random park, I’m going to give a quick summary:
As an important preface, the area of Channing Park was originally inhabited by the Iroquois, an indigenous group in the Rochester region.
The town of Penfield was actually first owned by a Vermonter! He didn’t see much value in the area though and sold it to Daniel Penfield. Daniel saw great potential in the Irondequoit Creek which runs through Channing Park. After about 10 years, Penfield had encouraged the erection of several mills that were powered by the creek in what is now the park area. Flour was the primary export of the area often transported by the nearby Erie Canal. Then agriculture became more popular in other nearby regions and the mills became of less use in this area. Then after years of waning agriculture, the park area was inhabited by a waste treatment facility which was later removed in order to make trails and create a town park!
Website: https://activerain.com/blogsview/2698934/channing-h–philbrick-park—the-old-linear-park
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